Adequate, no-frills city sedan hampered by recall issues

The Chevrolet Aveo first appeared on Canadian roads a decade ago. At the time it earned the nickname Chevy-woo in reference to the fact it was a Daewoo rebadged as a Chevrolet. What set it apart, at least at the time, was its perky style — the look was penned in Giorgetto Giugiaro’s renowned Italdesign studios in Italy.

Offered in both four- and five-door models, it represented affordable transportation for the masses. In 2007, the Aveo sedan was reworked with a fresher interior and better exterior styling. The hatch had to wait until 2009 to get the same treatment.

Available in LS and LT trims, the starting point brought just the bare essentials — manual mirrors, an AM/FM sound system and not much more. The LT added some luxury including air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors and cruise control, as well as a CD player for the four-speaker sound system. Where the Aveo truly disappointed, however, was that anti-lock brakes were optional across the board. Likewise, side-impact air bags were optional until GM finally saw the light and made them standard in 2010.

2007 Chevrolet Aveo.

The cabin was not a bad place to spend time, as the materials were pretty good and the fit and finish was, well, fitted and finished. The seats were passable and, for the driver, the manual height adjustment and tilt steering made setting the correct driving position an easy venture. The view to the sides and rear was also clean and uncluttered. It was a combination that made the Aveo an easy car to drive in a congested urban environment.

The Aveo did deliver decent interior room given its compact dimensions, although the rear seat legroom started as limited and disappeared when the front seats were moved rearward. Aft of that the sedan boasted a 330-litre trunk and 60/40-split/folding seat backs. The five-door brought more flexibility, but only 200L of space with the seats upright.

The Aveo arrived with a 1.6L four-cylinder that pushed 103 horsepower and 107 pound-feet of torque. The numbers typically make it feel as though one should get out and give the car a push off the line to get it started and moving towards the mid-range. Thankfully, the Aveo, while far from speedy, did feel reasonably responsive. Yes, it took 11 seconds to meander its way to 100 km/h, but it got there without impeding the traffic flow. In the mid-range, dropping a couple of gears in the five-speed manual saw the Aveo complete the 80 to 120-km/h passing move in 9.6 seconds. The optional four-speed automatic blunted the performance by about a second in both cases.

Nicknamed the “Chevy-woo”, the Chevrolet Aveo was a rebadged Daewoo.

When it came to the ride and handling, the Aveo was surprisingly nimble. The front struts, rear twist beam and front anti-roll bar prevented the body from leaning too far and it absorbed most road irregularities in stride. Understeer was a different matter — it was a constant companion unless the Aveo was equipped with the larger P185/55R15 tires (optional on the LS and standard on the LT).

Mechanically, the Aveo proved to be marginal with complaints involving oil leaks and stalling issues (earlier models also had timing belt issues). Likewise, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rated the Aveo as acceptable in head-on crashes, but marginal in side impacts and poor in a rear-ender. Transport Canada also noted, “Certain vehicles equipped with a 1.6L engine may develop a fuel leak as a result of fuel line rupture in a frontal crash test. In addition, the crash damage caused four short circuits in the fuse block, the combination of which allowed the fuel pump to continue running, allowing fuel to be pumped onto the ground. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.” In all, 4,169 vehicles (both 2007 Aveo and sibling Pontiac Wave) models were involved in a recall over this issue, so have it checked before purchase.

The asking price for the Aveo LT sedan featured here is $5,900, which is right for a car with 125,500 kilometres on the clock. However, the asking price for the Aveo tends to fluctuate wildly — a 2007 Aveo LS sedan is being advertised for $2,785 with 213,633 on the odometer. As they say, caveat emptor, or buyer beware — with the Chevrolet Aveo this credo should be considered a must.